Hello everyone. I am making the most out of my unexpected leave from work by taking a long wanted vacation. I have always had wanderlust but due to financial and time restraints have not been able to act on it. Suddenly middle-aged I am going NOW... I have been looking at all kinds of information for travel in Europe and my head is swimming. It is so hard because I do want to go everywhere.

I will be traveling solo (female), plan to use trains/easy public transportation connections (I will likely avoid overnight trains as I doubt I would sleep and expect to use time during the day trip seeing scenery, journaling, reading guidebooks, chilling to music, etc. Though I slept easily on floors, in seats and such when young I don't feel I can now and would end up grouchy).

My latest plan is to fly from Istanbul to Italy (looks like I can get into Florence) after a trip to Turkey through April 18, 2009. I figure it makes most sense to visit southern europe while temps will be cooler, traveling for 3 weeks maybe. I definitely have an eye on my budget but not to the point of looking at hostels.

Destinations I am thinking of: Florence 1-2 days sightseeing here and ?daytrip to Pisa and ?Daytrip to Siena, ?Milan from Florence (is it feasible), ?Lake Como, Rome with 2-3 days mainly want to get to Vatican City and a daytrip to Pompeii, then along the French coast (?Nice, Arles), and finally into Spain probably to Madrid, Toledo and Barcelona.

I tried to give enough specifics. I would love any ideas on itineraries including must-sees/duration/ease of travel on public transportation. My own thoughts are foggy and some from the experts on this forum would help. Thanks.

I'm afraid your Italian plans are much too ambitious given the wealth of sights and the pokiness of Italian train travel. In fact, 4 countries in 3 weeks is a pretty grueling trip, since your 3 countries are quite far apart!

For the easy questions: You really can't do Milan as a daytrip from Florence.

Fitting Lago di Como into this trip would be really tough unless you were willing to cut Rome and the south entirely/

Any chance you can fly into Rome? Any chance you can be persuaded to visit Ostia Antica instead of Pompeii?

If you are not willing to fly from Italy to Spain, you might consider the overnight ferry from Genova to Barcelona.

The long train ride along the southern coast of France is really long.

As it stands now you will have, at best, a glamourous whirlwind tour where you spend a lot of money plummeting into places and paying a lot for inter-country transport. When you move that fast, you inevitably end up spending extra money just to keep yourself comfortable, as in getting taxis because you've just exhausted yourself, or plopping down at the most touristy restaurants because you haven't got the time or the energy to explore beyond the tourist targets.

You could plan a different trip and visit one or two countries that are close together. But right now, you're planning the kind of trip that almost would make more sense to do as an organized group tour of Europe (excluding Turkey). I always avoid them, but if you are determined to try to see Italy, France and Spain all in the same trip, at least someone else would be carrying your luggage, delivering you the major sights, getting your entrance tix, etc.

If you scale back the country-hopping ambitions of this trip, you can probably afford two trips to Europe.

Wow! That's quite an itinerary. I do understand wanting to go every place, especially if you've not been to Europe before but this itinerary is too ambitious for 3 weeks.

Decide on what type of sightseeing you want and then focus on those places. You seem to want to see Italy (and who wouldn't) therefore I would plan on 3 weeks in Italy.

It takes a couple of days in a major city to get your bearings and Rome has so much else to offer apart from the Vatican that a couple of days aren't enough. There are exquisite churches, lovely squares, wonderful museums.

You need to factor in travel fatigue and give yourself some "down" time to relax and soak up the atmosphere.

Please also take a look at how much all this train travel will cost you and how much time you'll spend on the trains. For instance, Nice to Madrid is 15 hours with 2 train changes. You'll arrive in Madrid at midnight (not a time I'd like to be wandering around). For this type of trip you would want a night train (you can get a couchette or sleeper) so you arrive in the morning, rather than alone at night, and don't spend an entire day and evening traveling.

My first trip to Europe was running around through many countries. I now like to focus on 1 country and 1 area of that country since I have found that I missed so much trying to go to too many places in a short time.

Good luck with where ever your itinerary leads you!

Are you sure you have what it takes for this solo trip? It gets lonely after a week or so, and for a grown-up and especially a lady it is not that easy to pal around with casual travel acquaintances.

Not only is your itinerary too stressful, more like a business trip from hell for which you should get a special bonus, but rushing around like that on your own, without any downtime, will wear you out, physically and mentally and emotionally.

Plan on moving less and staying in one base location for longer - Florence can be your base for ten days easily - you'll develop a feeling of belonging, and there are enough daytrip targets to keep you amused (just not Milan, that's too far).

Why don't you look to join a brief tour for a bit, then head on out on your own again? Something like Rick Steves' Heart of Italy in 9 Days (one tour starts on April 18 - see www.ricksteves.com)? His tours are sensibly paced, he moves you around so you get to see a lot, but you're not packing and unpacking every day. He's also sensible in his requirements - you have to bring limited luggage, you have to carry it yourself, it is a no-nonsense no-pampering kind of traveling that suits many people, but not all, of course.

So look into it, and into other tour options, it might provide the company and the comfort of having things mapped out for you that takes the edge off your trip.

You'll still have enough issues with preparation, and with eating by yourself, and not having anyone to talk to, so consider this suggestion honestly and carefully.

I think after that trip you will be an expert on Southern Europe's railways and public transportation

But seriously, I would second everything that other posters have warned you about. It's just so much time wasted on changing places, getting accomodated, box-ticking visits to major tourist destinations, and back to the station for another city.

I don't know if the sheer quantity of destinations is so important, but you forego (especially as a solo traveller) the advantages of a decent base.

If you go to Italy, you can stay in a nice little hotel in Florence, or move a bit further South to Siena, and stay one full week in that hotel. Upon arrival you can unpack and forget about your stuff for 7 days. Get settled, check out the local trattorias. Meet people -- not on the run, at the station, or on the train, but while sipping the morning cappuccino at your favorite bar. Get some local advice on sights that no major travel guide covers. Go to Florence or Pisa - if you want to see the big destinations. Rent a car for a day and just drive around with no guide book (well, maybe a map would be okay). Explore small villages, vineyards, hike, bike, get a feel for the country and the people.

And you would have the flexibility to adjust your daily itinerary according to the weather. April does not mean constant sunshine. Chances are that you spend a gorgeous sunny day in museums, and a rainy one "having to" explore Lake Como if you have to follow a strict itinerary.

I would slow down the pace entirely!! For a 21-day trip you need to cut that list at least in half, imho, and consider staying at least 3 days in any new location (4-5 is better). This saves money, and saves your sanity, especially traveling as a woman alone.

When you say "1 day" in major cities, that basically leaves you nothing, because you need to factor in the reality of checking out of the hotel, getting to the train station, taking the train journey, arriving new city, getting to new hotel, checking in (repeat & repeat).

If you're choice is between going solo or not going at all - go solo! I have and it can be a lot of fun.

But don't move around so much. The traveling part is the unfun part - delayed connections, getting lost, etc. For 3 weeks, pick no more than 4-5 places to visit and, if these locations are far apart, choose fewer.

Thank you, everyone, for your thoughts. I thought I had pared down by list of destinations already fearing it would be too much traveling and not enough experiencing. Somehow it seemed many people had recommended "whole Europe" tours by train as an easy, cheap way to travel "everywhere" in a month. Last night when I had some time to look more closely at travel times and costs and had the chance to read your posts I realized it's not so. It seems I should focus on just a few stops for a 3 week journey. I am thinking Florence and daytrips for 2 wks, or paris and london for a week each, or rome to sorrento and down the amalfi over 3 weeks...sound more reasonable? I will have to rethink, and likely post some more questions. Having the help of this forum makes me more confidant about going to Europe alone. Thanks again to all of you.

If you're after a "whole-Europe" experience - now realizing that it's not possible, really, you could still prepare to stay in three major cities in three different countries.

It assumes that you think you can handle the culture-confusion - three languages, three histories, three types of food etc.

But as long as know that and prepare accordingly, by looking at travel DVDs and reading up on the three you pick, it will be a rich experience.

Now comes the hard part - which three? Over to you, Europe is your oyster, enjoy!

The only railpass you might consider is the Eurail Select Pass good in Italy, France and Spain and with rather extensive train travels in may be a good deal.

And for folks not really knowledgeable about the European train system i always refer three excellent sites: www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com - sites that all have tons of objective useful info and not just the usual listing of railpasses and an add to cart option.

I think the MOST important advice for train trippers and one that anyone who has done such a trip is to

PACK LIGHT!

Navigating train satitions inevitably means going up and down flights of stairs to reach other tracks many times and train car corridors are often not that wide to traipse thru with lots of luggage and even finding luggage space for humongous suitcases, etc. can at times be hard to find though in first class this is much less a problem than in second class.

But pack lighter than you plan. Pack everything you want to take and think you need then leave half of it at home! And be sure to have baggage with good wheels on them.